Chapter 3 Parting Ways II

"Cali, wake up, wake up, wake up." Cali feels someone shaking her as she attempts to open her eyes.

It's not Nik, but a man in his forties wearing a North Face jacket. Cali checks the cabin swiftly. Nik's jacket covers her as she lies on the bench. Her sweatshirt is folded and tucked beneath her chin. The fire in the fireplace has been extinguished. What happened to Nik?

Cali stands up and asks the man, "Who are you?"

"My name is Kris Schulz. I'm in charge of tourist safety at Amalia Valley." His speech has a strong German accent.

"How did you find out my name, I wonder." Cali is on high alert.

"Niklaus called and said you need help getting out of the valley. He informed me of your location."

"Do you know where Nik is?"

"He had to have left early." He stated that he had an early flight." As a result, he left. Cali believes she has lost something she can't place her finger on.

"Do you happen to know each other?" Cali couldn't help but inquire. When Kris mentions Nik, she feels a similarity in his tone.

"Come on, I'll explain on the way out." In a few hours, it will rain again."

Cali quickly stuffs her belongings into her bag. She considers wearing her sweatshirt but instead opts for Nik's jacket. It reminds her of his aroma, of the times they spent together.

Then she takes one more long look at the cabin. Yesterday seemed like a dream. Yesterday WAS a dream. She told herself this. Then she and Kris leave the cabin.

Niklaus notices Cali's small physique with Kris while standing behind the large shrubs that conceal him entirely. She is still dressed in his jacket. She is returning her gaze to the cabin. Is she thinking of him? Is she upset with him since he didn't say goodbye? When Niklaus left the cabin and called Kris, he thought he had made the right decision. But he now sincerely regrets it. He hoped he could accompany her back to her hotel, talk to her, and enjoy her smile one more time.

How could she have had such an impact on him in such a short period? He is the type of man who makes decisions and never looks back.

Cali and Kris vanish at the road's end. You must wage a war. It is time to go. Niklaus reminds himself to stop running towards them. Niklaus sighs and heads in the opposite direction, saying, "Get the jet ready."

Cali isn't feeling well. Her entire body screams pain. Her heart has been shattered into a thousand pieces. The term "broken" surprises Cali. How could she be heartbroken when she does not know Nik's last name? He never even said goodbye to her. She is merely a passer-by in his life. Cali tries to console herself but fails horribly when she considers how little she knows about him.

Her thoughts return to last night. When did she go to sleep? There were light discussions about terrible German food, extremely slow trains, and gorgeous forests. Then she fell asleep, sitting close to Nik with her back to the wall. She had a faint memory of leaning on Nik's shoulder for comfort. The rest is a haze.

Kris asks her, "How do you know Niklaus?" as she carefully walks the muddy route in pain and silence.

Cali is at a loss for words. Instead of responding, she inquires, "How do you know Nik?"

"Oh, Niklaus. So you must be pretty close because you are using his nickname."

Cali muses to herself, "So his first name is Niklaus."

"I've seen Niklaus come through the valley since I took over." Every year, he visits the valley on the same day. That's how I got to know him." Kris goes on.

"Does he come with any other people?" Cali's actual question is, does he come with a woman?

"Nope, always alone on the same day. Don't you think it's a little mysterious?"

"Yes, it is," Cali replied casually. She feels a wave of relief rushes over her.

"Do you know his last name?" Cali finds herself poking. She's still determining what she'll do with the information if she knows his surname. Look him up on the internet?

"Nope. I assumed you were aware. He never gave me his surname. When he asked me to help you get out of the valley, I assumed you two were friends." Cali noticed Kris stealing a glimpse at her from the corner of her eye. She flushes at the suggestion. She wished she could.

They went silent for the rest of the journey.

Cali is ready to thank Kris and say farewell when Kris and Cali arrive at the valley's entrance. On this exact site, she entered the valley the day before. But what follows surprises her.

"I'm sorry, but I must accompany you to the hotel." Niklaus promised me you'd be safe and sound when you returned to your hotel."

Cali is at a loss for words in response to his remarks. Nik clearly worries about her and her safety. He summoned Kris, urged him to assist her in finding her way back, and even had him commit to accompany her to the hotel. This must have some significance, right?

Despite this, he went without saying goodbye, providing her his last name, or leaving any message or contact information.

That may be for the best. Perhaps someone is expecting him at home. She is an accidental experience for him that he should swiftly forget.

So why is she experiencing despair in her heart?

"Are you ready to go?" Kris asks, pointing to his car at the valley's entrance.

"Yes," Cali said, nodding. No, not yet. No, not yet.

When Kris lets her off at the hotel gate, Sophia runs to her.

"Oh, my goodness. You've returned in one piece!" Sophia goes overboard.

"Hey, this is Kris. Kris assisted me in getting out of the valley. This is my friend Sophia Kris." Cali introduces herself.

"Thank you so much for all of your help," Cali says to Kris as he starts the engine.

"No worries. Hopefully, you won't get lost in Amalia Valley the next time." Kris waves goodbye with a wink.

"Tell me what happened with that Nik guy last night. Is he from Germany? The type of German with long legs?" Sophia clearly desires some juicy material.

Cali sighs and says, "Nothing happened."

"You're a jerk. Are you aware of this? Girl, you need to unwind and enjoy yourself!" Sophia is the same old Sophia.

"What are you on about? He has the potential to be dangerous."

"Does he pose a threat? Is it dangerous in a hot way? Please tell me about your night with the attractive guy." Like the cat in the animated film Shrek, Sophia pleads with her large Barkley eyes.

"You're not disputing it. So he's quite hot, right?"

Cali shook her head. "I'll tell you after I take a long hot shower," Sophia screams.

Cali decides not to tell Sophia the entire story while taking a shower. She will exclude the moments she wishes to keep for herself.

"You have a bad mood. You've been staring at your phone for a long time. "Are you waiting for a call?" Jack Collins, Niklaus's most trusted advisor, inquires. They are now aboard a private plane, preparing to take departure in a few minutes.

When Kris's phone number displays on Niklaus's iPhone screen, he instantly answers it.

"She's safe and sound in the hotel," Kris said from the other end of the phone.

"Thank you very much, Kris; I really appreciate it." Niklaus couldn't tell if he was relieved or sad. His bond with Cali has been cut at this point.

"Did something unexpected happen?" Jack expressed his worries.

"Nothing. How are they behaving in New York while I'm gone? Should I be concerned about them?" Niklaus has returned to his business model.

"Do you want anything else besides the whisky, Mr. Pierre?" The flight attendant with blond hair, beautiful legs, and large breasts interrupts them by batting her thick, long eyelashes at Niklaus.

"No. "I prefer not to be disturbed during the journey," Niklaus adds harshly, his face icy and indifferent. The flight attendant is taken aback and departs in despair.

Something must have occurred. The flight attendant is just like his boss. Jack thought to himself.

Jack finds Niklaus staring at him with impatience.

"Oh, they seem to be planning something on your father's 65th birthday. Things don't look good."

"Get to the bottom of what trick they are playing this time."

"Yes, boss."

Niklaus looks out the window and is lost in thoughts. Will he see her again?